Krell Industries today announced the initial shipments of the S-1200 surround preamp/processor. The $10,000 S-1200 release culminates more than two years of design work and is the latest addition to the Krell HMI 1.3 capable surround sound processor lineup. The Krell jumps into the more "affordable" audiophile AV preamp market with the Classe' SSP-800 and the Anthem D2v2 which are both priced at $8,000. Until recently, only mass market brands and a few $30,000 AV preamps including Krell's statement Evolution 707 AV preamp offered all of the latest home theater, HDMI and surround sound goodies on the market today.

Coupling Krell preamplifier technology, state of the art digital processing, and the latest in HDMI 1.3 surround formats, the S-1200 is an ideal centerpiece for any high performance music and home theater system. Based on award-winning preamplifier technology, all eight S-1200U analog output stages are built to the same exacting standard and feature balanced and single-ended cable connections. Only Krell designed preamplifier circuitry is employed within every channel utilizing discrete current based Class A, direct coupled circuitry for the greatest signal purity and highest bandwidth. Performance robbing op amps or integrated circuits are not used anywhere in the audio path. Preamp mode bypasses all digital circuitry and routes analog stereo inputs directly to a balanced resistor ladder volume control for ultimate music reproduction.

"The heart of our surround sound preamp/processors is their sound quality. We start with a great sounding preamplifier and then pair that to the latest in surround processing technology. The S-1200 includes our finest audio and video engineering plus the latest in connectivity technology, HDMI 1.3, to insure the ultimate home theater experience for our customers. " says Dan D'Agostino, Krell CEO and Chief Designer. D'Agostino continues, "The audio signal path is a direct descendant of our $30,000 Evolution 707 Reference Surround preamp/processor. The S-1200 also uses the same DSP engine and 1080p video stage from the Evolution 707."

At the hub of the S-1200 digital signal processing is a pair of dual core 32 bit Crystal CS497004 DSP's performing 1.8 giga operations per second. Digital signals are then routed to 24 bit ESS Sabre DACS.

Video content is treated to the same high performance engineering as the audio signals. All-discrete video circuitry takes full advantage of the new Deep Color HDMI 1.3 specifications. Maximum color depth has been increased from 24 bits to 48 bits and bandwidth from 165MHz to 340 MHz. Full video transcoding converts composite, S-Video, or component inputs to HDMI signals. Furthermore, the S-1200U model includes upconversion to a maximum of 1080p resolution. The S-1200 is a true "one connection solution" with on-screen display, configuration menus, and status messages available from all active video outputs including HDMI.

"HDMI 1.3 is at the cutting edge of today's technology and we are excited to be the first complete company to offer solutions for both reference and high performance home theaters. Like its bigger brother, the Evolution 707, the new S-1200 combines peerless audio and video performance with the convenience features our customers demand." Adds D'Agostino.

A "full value" trade up program is available to existing Krell S-1000 customers. Customers who purchased their S-1000 new may have it updated to an S-1200 or S-1200U for the retail price difference plus freight. This upgrade preserves the full investment a customer might have made up to two years ago and provides them with the latest in Krell technology. Performed at the Krell facility, this extensive upgrade includes a new power supply, motherboard, video circuitry, digital and analog circuitry, as well as a new faceplate and rear panel.

Finished in classic Krell brushed silver or black anodized Aluminum, the S-1200 begs to be seen but can be easily integrated into modern rack mount based systems.

Suggested Retail Price: S-1200: $10,000, S-1200U: $12,000 MSRP